12 Handy Tips To Prevent Motion Sickness In Kids

Following specific measures can make your child’s road trip experience more pleasurable.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Dur Afshar Agha, MS Dr. Dur Afshar Agha Dr. Dur Afshar AghaMS facebook_iconinsta_icon Specialty: Masters of Tropical PediatricsExperience: 26 years
Written by Dr Bisny T. Joseph
Last Updated on
Following specific measures can make your child’s road trip experience more pleasurable.

Motion sickness, also known as kinetosis, can create discomfort if your family travels frequently. Motion sickness in children causes them to feel dizzy and nauseous while traveling or riding on amusement park rides. Based on the triggering agent, motion sickness is also referred to as air sickness, car sickness, or seasickness.

Six- to 12-year-old children and women are more susceptible to this condition, and it is rarely seen in children younger than two years (1). Further, motion sickness is not related to any underlying health issues. Nevertheless, any degree of motion sickness can be problematic to children.

Read this post to understand the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for motion sickness in children.

Signs And Symptoms Of Motion Sickness In Children

The symptoms of motion sickness may be mild or severe. The child may feel fine one moment and then suddenly experience some of these symptoms:

  • A feeling of not being well
  • Yawning
  • Loss of appetite
  • Increased salivation
  • Burping
  • Headache
  • Blurred vision
  • Drowsiness
  • Vomiting
  • Difficulty concentrating (2)

What Causes Motion Sickness?

The exact cause of motion sickness is not known. One popular theory suggests that motion sickness is caused due to the conflicting information that the brain receives from the inner ears, eyes, and sensory nerves. For example, when your child is sitting in the backseat of a car traveling through a curvy road, their inner ears may sense the motion, but their eyes won’t. This conflicting information that the brain receives can cause motion sickness (3).

Treatment For Motion Sickness

Mild to moderate motion sickness may not need any treatment, as once the triggering factor is eliminated, the symptoms resolve within 24 hours. However, if your child has severe symptoms, such as continuous vomiting and syncope, consult your doctor immediately.

In extreme conditions, your doctor might prescribe medications, including

  • A scopolamine motion sickness patch to be placed behind the ear.
  • Antiemetics medication to reduce nausea.
  • Antihistamines, such as Dramamine, to prevent the symptoms. This may make your child drowsy, so always take your doctor’s prescription (3).

Keep in mind that these medications are most effective when taken before you travel. 

Prevention Tips For Motion Sickness

Generally, motion sickness can be prevented by behavioral and environmental modifications. With some simple tips, you can help prevent or treat motion sickness in your child.

  1. Make your child lie down and rest. You may also encourage them to take a nap as soon as the ride starts.
  1. Encourage your child to remain calm, as anxiety may worsen the symptoms.
  1. Give them tips to always sit in a position such that the eyes can see the same motion that the body is experiencing.
  1. Give them small sips of water or fizzy drinks until nausea settles down.
  1. If your child is above 12 years, make them sit in the front seat, and if they are younger, make them sit in the middle back seat. This ensures they look out the front window and not the side window.
  1. Do not let your child read books, watch movies, or use mobiles during the trip.
  1. Keep the window of the car seat open to let fresh air in.
  1. Ensure they eat light meals and at least one hour before travel.
  1. Experiment and find out which snacks they can tolerate mid-way through the road trip.
  1. When on a boat, encourage your child to be seated up the deck and look at a fixed point on the horizon.
  1. In a plane, opt for a seat near the wings.
  1. Ginger is said to effectively reduce nausea and gastric activity and prevent motion sickness. Give your child ginger ale if they feel nauseated (4).

Motion sickness in children is a common issue, but it is not a cause of deep concern. However, it may partially spoil their trips to places you always want to visit. Therefore, if your child experiences motion sickness too often, you must follow certain precautions, so they find the trip comfortable and do not fall sick. You may consult a healthcare professional to know which medicine can be given to prevent the signs and symptoms of motion sickness.

Key Pointers

  • Loss of appetite, blurred vision, headache, and vomiting are common symptoms of motion sickness.
  • Mild to moderate motion sickness symptoms usually resolve within 24 hours, unlike severe cases that might require the assistance of medications.
  • Encouraging your child to remain calm, giving small sips of water, keeping the window of the car open, and other tips to help manage the symptoms as you scroll through.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is motion sickness genetic?

The inheritance pattern of motion sickness is not known. However, it has been seen that children who have parents or siblings with motion sickness are more susceptible to the condition (5).

2. How do you get rid of motion sickness permanently?

You cannot get rid of motion sickness permanently; however, you can manage it well with preventive care, medications, dietary supplements, herbs, and relaxation techniques.

References

1. Andreas Koch et al., The Neurophysiology and Treatment of Motion Sickness; Deutsches Arzteblatt Internationa
2. Alexander KC Leung, and Kam Lun Hon; Motion sickness: an overview; Drugs In Context
3. Motion Sickness; C.S Mott Children’s Hospital
4. Han-Chung Lien et al., Effects of ginger on motion sickness and gastric slow-wave dysrhythmias induced by circular vection; American Journal Of Physiology
5. Motion sickness; MedlinePlus
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Dr. Dur Afshar Agha
Dr. Dur Afshar AghaMS
Dr. Dur Afshar Agha is a consultant pediatrician with around 26 years of experience in various medical facilities both in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. She has headed the Department of Preventive Pediatrics at the prestigious, Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health in Pakistan and is a life member of the Pakistan Paediatric Association.

Read full bio of Dr. Dur Afshar Agha
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